Unit 12

English 201:    Masterpieces of Western Literature

Background:

Otherworldliness: In the introduction to the medieval world (1163-72), our text says that in the medieval period "this world was seen as secondary to the world to come, a testing ground determining whether the individual would spend eternity in Heaven or Hell" (1164).  In unit11 you learned a little bit about pragmatism: the philosophical outlook that recognizes multiple dimensions or communities.  European medievalism recognized only one dimension: religion.  Today religion can mean many things.  During the medieval period religion undoubtedly had many dimensions, but it preached only one theme: salvation.  Dante's work illustrates this medieval outlook by purporting to show the ultimate destiny of various people.  In the next two lessons we will see how Boccaccio & Cervantes attacked & hope to destroy this outlook.

Great Chain of Being: This is a medieval political theory that is the opposite of democracy.  In democratic theory the people (voters) have all the power & they elect leaders.  A feudal hierarchy begins with God who providential arranges for someone to be the Pope, who then appoints cardinals, who appoint bishops, who appoint priests, who tell the laity what to do.  In democracy power ascends.  In a feudal hierarchy power descends so that the laity have no rights.  They have duties & obligations.  The structure itself was thought to be of divine origin (related to natural law) & consequently immune from change.  Problems were always thought to personal & not structural.  Though Dante finds numerous clergy in hell it never occurs to him that there might be something wrong with the structure.  The problem is always corruption.

Mariology: Medieval culture inflated the majesty of Christ so much that he became unapproachable & frightening.  Increasingly, the Virgin Mary acted as an intercessor under the assumption that it is easier to beg favors from your mother than from your father.
2.94    There is a gentle lady in Heaven [Mary]
           who tempers harsh judgment.
Some Catholic theologians (the present Pope included) say that Mary is a coredemptreus exclusively distributing Christ's salvific grace.  Here are a couple of Internet documents  that illustrate the idea:
 
 

Mary, Co-Redeemer?

Mother of the Redeemer: John Paul II's encyclical

Our interest is not to debate the theology but simply to recognize that the Virgin Mary was something of a goddess figure in medieval culture. Thus we will see that Dante is blessed by the guidance of:
2.124    3 such holy ladies
            [who] care for you in the court of Heaven

Courtly Love: Your text contains chapters from Andreas Capellanus' The Art of Courtly Love (1313-43). You are familiar with some of this, if you have read Arthurian romance.  The idea is to refine or elevate libido (lust & violence) to the level of agape (love of God).  This process begins when a boy or man falls in love & idolizes his beloved making her into a clone of the Virgin Mary.  Instead of physically consummating your love, you slay dragons accomplish some similar deeds to rid the world of evil & make it a fit place for beauty.  The introduction to Dante says:
p. 1379    Dante's first love, inspired in him at the age of 9 by the sight of eatrice Portinari, 
               a girl 1 year younger.  He immediately conceived for her a lifelong, intensely 
               idealistic passion that owes much to the medieval tradition of worship of woman.

Click on the next section: Explication above.